Rams top Litchfield; Reading drops heartbreaker

Friday

Feb 15, 2013 at 10:00 AM

By Ed Patino

ed.patino@hillsdale.netNORTH ADAMS — Turning up the pressure paid off for the North Adams-Jerome High School girls basketball team.Three players scored in double figures as the Rams rallied in the fourth quarter for a 50-36 victory over the Litchfield Terriers in a Southern Central Athletic Association game Thursday evening.North Adams-Jerome (6-12) trailed for most of the night, but fought back in a big way in the fourth quarter. With their pressure defense forcing several turnovers, the Rams closed the game on an 18-4 run."We came out flat in the first half, but we defended really well in the second half," North Adams-Jerome coach Doug Dospoy said. "We pressured them and scored off their turnovers in the fourth. The girls played extremely hard in the second half."Litchfield (7-9, 5-9 SCAA) was the stronger team early on, building a 19-16 lead by halftime. The Rams fought back in the third, but the Terriers held a 33-32 lead entering the fourth quarter.Kayla Blevins had 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and eight steals to lead North Adams-Jerome. Desiree Morrison added 10 points, three assists and four steals, while Casey Farmer recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Emily McKinney scored six points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Hannah Webb had five points. Cheyenne Monahan scored four points and Breelynn Horn finished with two points.Two players scored in double figures for Litchfield. Hayley Jones led the Terriers with 11 points, while Katelyn Wheeler added 10 points. Harley Prater finished with nine points.Litchfield will face Reading in a non-conference game Monday. The Rams will host Camden-Frontier on Tuesday.Camden-Frontier 38, Waldron 26For the second straight day, the Camden-Frontier High School girls basketball team rode a fast start to a victory, this time in a rivalry win over the Waldron Spartans in a Southern Central Athletic Association game Thursday.Just 24 hours after defeating Burr Oak, the Redskins came out firing against the Spartans. Camden-Frontier (8-10) raced out to a 13-point lead by the end of the first quarter, then stretched its advantage to 23-8 by halftime.The Redskins held a 19-point lead at the end of the three quarters. Waldron (5-13, 5-10 SCAA) showed its mettle in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Redskins 14-7, but was unable to overcome its slow start."The girls came out very hard in the beginning both offensively and defensively, and we saw a lot of improvement tonight," Camden-Frontier coach Mandy Vincent said. "The shots started going in for (Waldron) in the fourth quarter, but other than that the girls played hard."Kasey Follis had nine points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots to lead the Redskins. Kelsea McNeil had eight points and 15 rebounds, while Emily Kirk added seven points.Kaila Fidler scored nine points to lead Waldron, while Alicia Roney finished with eight points.Concord 39, Reading 37 (ot)The Reading High School girls basketball team put a big-time scare into the No. 8-ranked Concord Yellow Jackets, in Thursday's Big Eight Conference game, but fell short in overtime.Reading (10-8, 7-6 Big Eight) overcame a seven-point halftime deficit with a strong second half. The Rangers held a three-point lead in the the final minute, but a charging call gave Concord new life. The Yellow Jackets tied the game with a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining.With eight seconds left in overtime, Concord converted a traditional 3-point play to take the win."The girls played so hard and we had them where we wanted them," Reading coach Ryan Mulnix said. "It's a tough loss, but the girls kept bouncing back. I'm proud and I can't say enough about them."Brittany Marquart scored 12 points to lead Reading. Jami Hubbard had 11 points and five rebounds, while Michelle Davis added six points, three assists and three steals. Ashley McCarley had six points and Taylor Coe grabbed five rebounds.The Rangers will play Litchfield in a non-conference game Monday.Springport 42, Jonesville 33Leading at halftime, the Jonesville High School girls basketball team was unable to hang on and lost to the Springport Spartans in a Big Eight Conference game Thursday.Jonesville (4-15, 1-12 Big Eight) started strong and built a five-point lead by the end of the first quarter. Springport chipped away at the lead, but the Comets led 21-19 entering halftime.The Spartans rallied to take a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, then outscored Jonesville 12-4 in the final frame."The girls played hard, but we again had trouble scoring at the end of the game," Jonesville coach Tom Dunn said.Kalie Spencer had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead the Comets. Hannah Smith scored six points and forced four steals, while Taylor Dunn grabbed four rebounds. Emily Dawson pulled down five rebounds.Jonesville will face Quincy in a Big Eight game next Thursday.